TDudette

Gracious, more lovely shots and fun puns.

Thanks for the loco (LOL) info. Contemplated the navel? Oh no! Mezquita is amazing. Those patios, and the fans would make cute quilt patterns.

Keep 'em coming, please.

Vonse

Thanks for another great report! I'm noting all your restaurant recommendations. Did you like your hotel in Cordoba?

maitaitom

"Did you like your hotel in Cordoba?"

Our hotel in Córdoba was fine for one night, but there was nothing special where I would necessarily recommend it. Room was small, area was quiet, and a very nice bathroom. It was only 80 euros a night, so that was a plus. Located very near Plaza San Miguel.

Casa Rubio, sort of the same thing. Certainly a decent meal (we did not find very many "wow" dining spots in all of Spain...always decent meals, but nothing truly spectacular...except for the Granada place with the Alhambra view). I'm not complaining because the food was generally good, the wines (for the most part) were very good, and the cost was low compared to dining in Paris or Los Angeles.

kimhe

<we did not find very many "wow" dining spots in all of Spain>

There are for sure many "wow" dining spots in different categories in most of the cities you've visited, but you seem to have been mainly focusing on seeing things and having a good time before going out of your way to find those special places. Looks like it worked as a fine strategy for an excellent trip full of experiences, fun and ok food.

debinthepeg

Great report - loved the pictures. We had 1 1/2 days in Cordoba and thought we could have used one more as well. I agree that it is very fortunate that the Christians didn't destroy the Mezquita when they built the Cathedral.

We did visit the Alcazar but we found it only "meh", especially compared to the Alcazar in Seville. The gardens were lovely though and we spent most of our visit there.

Vonse - a couple more restaurant recommendations if you're interested - we enjoyed both. Maybe not "wow" but good meals.

Taberna Luque (often very busy, good to make a reservation). A husband and wife run the restaurant - she cooks, he serves. Quite the experience, he is very entertaining and she is a good cook.

La Tranquera

debinthepeg

Oh, and I'm very excited that Toledo is next. In 3 weeks from now, we will likely be getting ready to wind down from our first full day there!

maitaitom

"Oh, and I'm very excited that Toledo is next."

debinthepeg,, I will endeavor to get Toledo done soon, because in 13 days I have to undergo surgery for a partially torn rotator cuff (unless I get a reprieve from the governor). They say I can type after that, but I will try and get Toledo done (at least) before September 30, although a trip report while on pain meds does sound interesting.

Betsy

Tom, do you know whether Juan Gil is available in other areas of Spain? If so, which red do you recommend?

BTW, I'm baking your lemon bundt cake for a special event next weekend.

Nelson

Bummer, good luck with the surgery. I had shoulder surgery ten years ago after a misdiagnosed posterior dislocation, the result of an accident. I walked around with it for a couple days before deciding that they were wrong about "it will get better".

I had to wear a brace that kept my arm completely immobile for a month. It took 6-9 months of work but now it's 100% healed. Pain meds didn't help at all, but a couple of margaritas did. No kidding.

Thanks again for the report. Fun reading, great photos, great information. We'll be in Cordoba in about a month, and Toledo before that, so also looking forward to the next installment!

Adelaidean

Good news Deb, we can read your TR then.
Thanks maitaitom, have been waiting for this instalment

debinthepeg

"Good news Deb, we can read your TR then"

I will try my best, but I am no maitaitom (on pain killers or not - lol)

Tom, you're starting to sound like my brotha-from-anotha-motha

We enjoyed a lot of the same things in Spain, we look to be about the same age, we drink Juan Gil all the time and my husband has had a rotator cuff problem. No surgery for him but a accumpuncture, massage, chiropractic and drugs until he was better.

Good luck with your surgery!

If you have any quick Madrid tips, would appreciate them. My 25 year old daughter was there last week but she won't be too helpful. I asked her what they visited and she said "not much, they stayed up until 6:00 am and slept until 1:00 PM" - living the life like a local - at least at night. That certainly won't be us. I'm pushing to go to a 11:30 PM flamenco show and my husband is looking at me like I have 2 heads - lol

maitaitom

"If you have any quick Madrid tips"

Before we left, Kim purchased the Paseo del Arte Card, which gets you into the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza, Museo Nacional del Prado and Museo Reina Sofía. Good one for one year...we picked it up at the Prado.

<B>http://www.museoreinasofia.es/en/paseo-del-arte-ticket</B>

A few of air highlights...
The Prado...now my favorite art museum ever!
Palacio Real de Madrid - spectacular...sadly no photography inside...stunning
Parc de Buen Retiro...one of the nicer parks we have ever visited
View across street from Plaza de la Cibeles to Cibelas Palace
Museo de Cerralbo
Loved all the little plazas with people dining...Madrid far exceeded our expectations.

Biggest Bust:
Puerto del Sol...quickly made our "Elevator List."

TDudette

Hi, debinthepeg. I second the paseo hint.

When I was in Madrid, you had to use that pass at the Prado first. I see that you went there first, Tom so it didn't come up? I bought it online but went to Thyssen-Bornemisza Museum first (it was closer to my hotel) and they wouldn't honor it.

Have a great trip.

Good luck with the surgery Tom.

MaineGG

Oooh, sorry to hear about the rotator cuff surgery. My husband may have to have a small tendon tear repaired when we get home from Paris, but he's doing OK so far on this trip.
Tomorrow, having been inspired by your Paris trip report, we're going to visit the Hotel de Ville for the Journees du Patrimoine. Any helpful hints about how early to get there, etc.?

This trip report and photos are really great, as usual. We loved Spain and hope to get back one of these days. I love your motto, "You can rest when you're dead." Amen.

maitaitom

"Tomorrow, having been inspired by your Paris trip report, we're going to visit the Hotel de Ville for the Journees du Patrimoine. Any helpful hints about how early to get there, etc.?"

Last year it opened at 9:30. We got in line at 8:45 and were near the front of the line, which made it nice to see without a mass of people. When we exited, the line was very long. That line might have been 45 minutes to an hour, but lining up early means you can get in and out and still have full day to see other stuff. Visiting the Hôtel de Ville was the biggest highlight of that trip. Have fun!

MaineGG

Thanks maitai! We'll get up and out bright and early.

debinthepeg

Thanks Tom. Love to see that your advice is aligning with exactly what we have planned. Not sure how many museums we will get to but I feel we at least have to visit the Prado. We visited the Palace in Monaco last year and the same thing - no photography inside. A shame but maybe understood for security purposes.

I'm hoping Madrid will surpass our expectations too. I find the guide books really highlight/sell Barcelona but fall short on Madrid. They made me, at least initially, think Madrid wouldn't be as interesting as Barcelona. After following the forums and doing more research, we're really looking forward to it. I'm expecting a different experience from Barcelona (which we enjoyed too)

SDsunflower

OH NO!!!! hope the governor gives you a reprieve: or you get a miraculous healing from a great chiropractor or.....I am sure all of us thinking of you and wishing you good health may work

Loved the latest installment: we keep adding to our list of "oldies" songs, thanks to all your music references

Terrific to know about Cordoba: we are only doing a short day trip , as you know!
Some love it, others not..... always the case with places
We may keep our trip to a half day: time to see Mezquita and Synagogue and wander a little , skip lunch and return to Seville....
your thoughts?

Hope you are able to finish your TR as we all love the adventures of the Fabulous Foursome pre-surgery but , if you can't, we'll all just be waiting for the Return of Maitai (perhaps a few G&Ts will help with the pain....)!!
take care Tom!

Nelson

<i>> Palacio Real de Madrid - spectacular...</i>
maitai, Glad to hear, that's high on our list. Did you think advance tickets are necessary, or can you just show up? Online tix are timed entry.

Thanks!

kimhe

<skip lunch and return to Seville....>

Would very much recommend to have lunch in Cordoba in one of the many fine and local feel tabernas in the Roman part of town, just a couple of hundred meters North of the Mezquita and the most touristy part. A Cordoba taberna is something special and well worth a visit. There are many to choose from, but we've had fine meals in Taberna Salinas from 1879, mentioned in the Michelin guide but still very affordable. http://www.tabernasalinas.com/
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Restauran...Andalucia.html

Some other taberna options close to the Roman temple ruins: http://www.cordoba24.info/tavernen/h...vernen_en.html